You know how sometimes we bite off more than we can chew? We see a project and we just know — I can DO that. Then we get into it and find out we can’t. Women are resourceful and when in an independent mode will tackle just about any job that needs doing, regardless of the size or type…especially, if it has directions.

Men think, “Who needs directions? I can mess this up perfectly all by myself.” (The same thought applies to driving; just insert “get lost” in place of “mess”. I can say this because both times I was married, it was to men just like this.

Resourceful women will read the map, get out and ask directions, read instructions and do the job. Dependent women will ask, nag and wait for someone else to do the job. I can say this because I was a dependent woman for the first 30 years of my life. My sister was the one to be out with Dad learning all those handyman things. Me… I learned all the cooking and sewing inside things.

An excellent illustration of this is what happened back in Louisiana. Mom’s bathroom faucet went kaput.

My sister was not there.

Picture, if you will, a box full of the New Things (faucet, handles, washers, screws, etc.) and the old things stacked up on the side of the sink.

I had been sitting on Mom’s bathroom floor taking all the hardware out of the sink because it went kaput. As I was unscrewing all the thingys from the things, I had to ask for God’s strength because the thingys were too tight on the things. Well. He not only gave me extra strength, but He helped me to know which way to unscrew. (I have tugged and pulled on a thang the wrong way only making it tighter. Sigh… mechanic, I am not.) Then I get to the point where I can now start assembling the New Things into the holes. Except, this new assemblage came without some parts.

I just hate it when I get everything home and all spread out and then find out that I left some important and crucial parts back at the store unbought because they were not included. We’re not talking batteries here.

Now, I am one that can follow directions, especially with God’s help. But, when it comes to knowing how big something is and without knowing what it is, in order to go buy it at the hardware store, I am at a loss. I do not have a clue what to ask for. The Directions say, “attach to water tubes (not supplied).”

Hmmmm…

What kind of water tubes? The New Things I bought do not look at all like the old things that came out of the sink.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

The old tubes are not flexible. The old tubes were too long and were so tightly in place, carroded (sp?) that they looked (and felt) fused in place.

I decided I had to ask my neighbor to come take a look.

It was the neighbor who always drove across my yard.

There were days I would be working and look up because a truck flew across my yard and parked in his carport. I had planted a crepe myrtle at the spot where he left my driveway and crossed the yard as a subtle hint that I didn’t like him driving on my yard. That didn’t stop the policemen from driving across our yard to get to the softball field at the rear of our yard. Sigh…

Anyway, back to the stacks of parts that were tangled like a dropped wad of clothes hangers.

My lovely daughter came to my rescue.

After I took a trip back to the hardware store and tried to describe to The Guy exactly what I needed, I was shown the Shelf where all the plumbing thingys are. Now, this makes some men salivate. Me? It makes my head hurt. I bought two different sizes because the old screw on thingys didn’t match any of the new things.

While I was gone, my daughter the casting director pulled into the driveway. Glory. Problem solved.

I worked really hard handing all the correct thingys to her as she bumped and pounded under the sink. I do hope that who ever buys that house fully understands and appreciates all the hard work and toil that we went through to get those shiny faucets in the master bathroom.